LeAnn Rimes

American singer, songwriter, actress, and author. With a mature voice at 13, she was compared to Patsy Cline. She is the daughter of Wilbur and Belinda, high-school sweethearts, who were married 12 years and childless. Her mom prayed for a baby and got pregnant weeks later with LeAnn. She began to sing at 18 months, took first place in competitions by the time she was six and went on TV's "Star Search" at eight. Her first major-label single, "Blue" sold over 100,000 in the first week of its release, June l996.

Despite her plunge into instant fame with record sales that reached an astounding $96 million in 1997 alone, Rimes remained a remarkably unaffected and poised teenager. At age 17, she dealt with one of the more unpleasant aspects of adult wealth. On 2 May 2000, she filed a lawsuit alleging that her dad, Wilbur, 47, had skimmed more than $7 million through excessive fees and other schemes. Wilbur, who lives on a horse farm with his second wife, had once been the co-manager of Rimes business enterprises and claims to be "heartbroken" over the allegations. He and Rimes' mom, Belinda, had separated in 1997 and he remarried he following year. His estrangement with his daughter began at that time. After 22 unpleasant months, the suit was settled for an undisclosed amount in February 2002.

LeAnn and Belinda lived together at her hilltop spread in Sherman Oaks, CA until her mom remarried in mid-2000.

By then, LeAnn had been going steady with beau Andrew Keegan, 21, for two years.

As of July 2000 she had cancelled a 30-date concert tour due to a strained right vocal cord. She was placed under doctors orders to rest her pipes for two to three months.

In May 2001, LeAnn met Dean Sheremet, 21, a dancer on one of her show number and two months later, she broke off her relationship with Keegan. She and Dean announced their engagement on 14 December 2001 and they married on 23 February 2002, Dallas, TX.